Ledger-binder.



A. DOM.

LEDGER BINDER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY zo, 1914.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

III.

YHE NORRIS PETERS CU.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D4 C.

lflNlllllN VENTE@ PATENT @llilfilltllit ALEXANDER DOM, 0F CINCINNATI, QHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE SAMUEL C. TATUM COMPANY, OE CINCINNATI, GEIE), A. GQRPORATION 0F OHIO.

LEDGERBINDER.

incarne.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 5, 1915..

Application filed July 20, 1914:. Serial No. 851.8426.

To 'all 7071 om it muy concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER DOM, a citizen of the United States. and residing at Cincinnati. in the county of Hamilton and State of Qhio, have invented a new and useful Ledger-Binder, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention relates to an improvement in loose-leaf ledger binders.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an operative mechanism, freely compressible for binding, automatically locking against expansion, and which requires to be manually unlocked and positively fed for opening up, by a key control, the feed mechanism being disposed to concurrently actuate the binder members upon opposite sides, and thereby equalizing the compression forces irrespective of the point of application relative to the lateral dimensions of the binder lock.

T he features of the invention are more fully set forth in connection with the description of the accompanving drawings forming a part of this specification, where- 1n:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism with the cover plate removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view on line 2--2, Fig. 1.

The back plate 1 is of usual character, to which is secured the cover plate 2, constituting therewith a housing, and relative to which the other elements are telescopically adjustable, excepting the feed shafts and cam-lock, which are supported by said plate 1.

The binding members 3, 4, are telescopically slidable within and properly guided by said housing;` for the operative mechanism. The telescoping binder posts 5 and hinged covers 6 are appropriately carried by said members 3, 4. To the binder member 3 is fixed the duplicate racks 7. 8, disposed near each end of said member, the coacting member 4 being` similarly provided with duplicate racks 9, 10. Plate 1 is formed with two pairs of end bearing brackets 11, 12, at opposite ends, projectingr rearwardly into the housing. A feed shaft 13 has end bearings in said brackets and has fixed thereto pinions 14, 15, intermeshing' with racks 7, S, respectively, while a parallel feed shaft 16 also has end bearings in brackets 11 and 12, and has fixed thereto pinions 17, 18, intermeshing with racks 9, 10, respectively. Shafts 13, 16, are driven in unison through their intermeshing ,gears 19, 20, at one end of the binder, shaft 13 beine: the driver and formed with the end key seat 21. On plate 1 is medially disposed a bearing bracket 22, in which is swiveled a cam-lock 23, having its lower' end 24 pivoted to an actuating' rod 25 the other end of which rod is inturned and eyed to fit over the key-seat 21, said rod and hence the cam-lock Q3, being; normalized (as shown in Fig. 1i by spring 26, so that the rod has to be shifted in seating the key to operate the feed. the unlocking thus automatically precedingthe feed operation. The member 3 has a lock plate 27 fixed thereto, and a member 4 a duplicate lock plate 28, slidably ,guided in suitable bearings in bracket 22 in appropriate relation to the cam shoulders E29 of said swivel lock member the medial longitudinal line of said cam shoulders being at an appropriate angle to the straight edges of lock plates Q7. QS, constituting the surfaces to be interlocked.

ln operation. the binders 3, 4.. may be freely, manually compressed to clamp the papers held by the telescoping binder posts, the cam lock automatically yieldinun to the force. and tbe feed mechanism operatincr as an idler, with the racks as the drivers. But this operation while idle in the feed sense functions to eoualif/.e the compression forces at opposite ends of the binder irrespective of the point of application incidental to manual manipulation.

The cam and lock plates will automatically interlock or clamp to hold the binders to position of compression adi ustment.

l'n expanding'. a kcv seating, releases the interlock. after which rotation of the key in an appropriate direction will function the feed mechanism to positively and predeterminedly telescopicallv separate the binders. the pinions beinethe driving and the racks the driven feed elements. while the removal of the kev automatically shifts rod 25 under spring influence to again actuate the interlock so that the binders cannot be further opened up without another key operation.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In a device of the class described. a back plate. clampingl binders telescopically secured relative to said plate. parallel shafts supported by and spanning said plate longillt tudinally, duplicate racks on each of said binders, pinions on the shafts respectively intermeshing with said racks, said shafts being also geared to rotate in unison and one of said shafts being formed with a key seat, locking plates secured to said binders, an intermediate coacting cam-lock, anda spring controlled shift rod therefor normally blocking the key seat, rendering said mechanism freely compressible but locked against expansion forces save for a key control of the feed mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, a back-plate, clamping binders telescopically secured thereby, binder expansion feed mechanism comprising inter-geared parallel pinion shafts and duplicate racks connected with said plate and binders, and disposed to equalize compression forces, a lock for said binder telescopic action, automatically releasing under the influence of compression forces, and interlocking against expansion forces, and means actuated by a key control of one of said shafts for unlocking the binders, thereby rendering the feed mechanism operative for a key actuated binder expansion. A

3. In a device of the class described, a back-plate, clamping binders telcscopically secured thereby, binder expansion feed mechanism comprising inter-geared,parallel pinion shafts and duplicate pairs of racks connected with said plate and binders, a

clamp lock for the binder telescopic action, automatically releasing under compression forces and interlocking against binder expansion, spring normalizing means therefor, means for releasing said lock for binder expansion, said pinion and racks being disposed to equalize compression forces in their non-feed functional operation.

4. In a device of the class described, a back plate, clamping binders telescopically secured thereby, binder expansion feed mechanism comprising inter-geared, parallel pinion shafts and duplicate pairs of racks connected with the plate and binders, the shafts being the driver elements for binder expansion, and the driven elements for binder compression, and being disposed to equalize actuating forces at opposite ends of the binders, a cam-lock spring normalizing means therefor, and an actuator control for said lock rendering the feed mechanism operative for binder expansion, the binders being freely compressible but interlocked against expansion save when said feed mechanism is functioned by said actuator control.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the tivo subscribing Witnesses.

ALEXANDER DOM. `Wtnessesz CLARENCE B. Fos'rnn, L. A. BECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Tatents,

' Washington, D. C. 

